Brewers Minor League Link Report (4/11): Wilken Injury, Rainouts, Lack of Offense Doom Thursday Results

[Ro Mueller]

Nate Peterson and Jacob Misiorowski delivered solid starts, but Biloxi dropped two games and Brock Wilken took a scary pitch to the face. The Sounds scored one run in defeat while others were rained out.

Transactions:

• LHP Darrell Thompson placed on AAA Nashville's temporarily inactive list
• RHP Jason Woodward assigned to Low-A Carolina from ACL Brewers and placed on 60-day injured list (the 2023 fourth round pick is still working his way back from March 2023 Tommy John surgery) 

Game Action:

Nashville Pre-Game Media Notes
Final: Memphis 6, Nashville 1
Box Score and Game Log

Via the Sounds’ website, game details, and we encourage readers to review affiliate write-ups as part of their Link Report routine: Sounds Fail to Cash in on Chances at Memphis

Although both teams struggled to put runners in scoring position, Memphis burned Sounds’ starting RHP Evan McKendry (4 1/3 IP, 6 R, 5 H, 4 BB, 0 Ks) with the long ball: 3-run homer in the 1st inning, 2-run shot in the 5th inning.

Although Nashville outhit Memphis 9 to 5, they didn’t manage to put two runners on base together until the 7th inning, by which point they already trailed 6-0.

Per the article link, the bullpen of LHP Rob Zastryzny, Vladimir Gutierrez and Ryan Middendorf were solid: combined 3 2/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 1 HBP, 2 Ks.

Sounds’ Extras:

• Right fielder Chris Roller appeared injured on the first play of the game (his leadoff groundout), then played one inning in the field before exiting.
• 1B Tyler Black, C Eric Haase (2-for-4, HR, RBI), 2B Owen Miller and SS Vinny Capra each reached base twice (7 hits, 1 walk), but the team was unable to string these together to produce any big inning.
• You’d have to go back to July 2022 (a 2-inning, 19-pitch outing) to find the last time that the normally-reliable McKendry failed to strike out a batter. However, he’d struck out 9 hitters in his previous two starts this year, so perhaps the home runs (4 yielded through 3 games) are the more troubling concern.

Friday’s outlook: RHPs Carlos F. Rodriguez (6.43 ERA with 11 Ks in 7 IP) and Tobias Myers (2.79 ERA with 14 Ks in 9 2/3 IP) are scheduled for a doubleheader (7 innings for each game), with Rodriguez aiming for his first strong outing in three games and Myers looking to continue his terrific work.

Biloxi Pre-Game Media Notes
Game One Final: Mississippi 4, Biloxi 1 (in 7 innings)
Box Score and Game Log

Game Two Final: Mississippi 1, Biloxi 0 (in 8 innings)
Box Score and Game Log

Via the Shuckers’ website, game details: Biloxi Falls in Doubleheader Sweep to M-Braves

For a myriad of reasons, 3B Brock Wilken’s HBP in the first game of Biloxi’s doubleheader takes priority and overshadows everything else which happened on the field on Wednesday: 

Understandably, Wilken exited the game and did not suit for the nightcap. We did not receive further information (e.g. was he taken to a Pearl or Jackson, Mississippi hospital for monitoring?), but will share once we have it. Let’s pray he was merely stunned, but uncorked 94mph pitches tend to do more than stun.

As to the games, RHP Jacob Misiorowski (3 IP, 1 R (0 ER), 3 H, 3 BB, 4 Ks) had an adventurous first inning, walking two batters, yielding a single, giving up two stolen bases and picking off a baserunner to ensure no runs were scored. He ultimately threw 69 pitches (42 strikes) over 3 innings, not extending himself quite as far as his 75-pitch opening day.

Three Biloxi doubles (2 from C Wes Clarke, 1 from Wilken), including Clarke’s 4th inning leadoff double when the game was tied 1-1, appeared to put the Shuckers in good shape to grab a victory.

However, Clarke was stranded, then each team had walk-induced bases loaded situations: the Braves cashing in for 3 runs in the 5th inning and the Shuckers going strikeout (DH Freddy Zamora), strikeout (OF Carlos D. Rodriguez), strikeout (OF Lamar Sparks) to blow their chance.

Including his first extra-base hit of the season, Brock was having a solid game before his early exit: 

LHP Nate Peterson (4 2/3 IP, 0 R, 2 H (both singles), 3 BB, 5 Ks) was sterling in the evening affair, as both teams once again struggled for offense: 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position for Biloxi vs. 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position for Mississippi. 

Shuckers’ Extras:

• RHP Sam Gardner was his usual dominating self in his first inning in relief of Misiorowski (2 groundouts, 1 K) before walking 3 of 4 batters in the next frame. RHP James Meeker then conceded a back-breaking 2-run single as all three inherited runners scored.
• In the second game, RHPs Sam Carlson (1 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 1 K) and Justin Yeager (1 2/3 IP, 1 R (0 ER), 2 H, 0 BB, 1 K) continued Peterson’s solid work, but a 2-out infield hit scored the Manfred Man to complete the Braves’ sweep.
• Clarke (2-for-5, 2 doubles, walk, RBI), 1B Ernesto Martinez (2-for-5, double, walk, SB) and Rodriguez (2-for-5) had respectable days at the plate, even if the offense struggled overall.

SS Eric Brown Jr. couldn't quite make the play to prevent the Braves' walk-off:

Friday’s outlook: While the team hopes for encouraging news on Wilken, starting RHP Bradley Blalock (5 shutout innings last week) will look to turn the tide in the series, which Biloxi presently trails 3-0.

Wisconsin Pre-Game Media Notes
Rained Out

Via the Timber Rattlers’ website, rainout details: Rattlers Game at South Bend Postponed on Thursday

Wisconsin and South Bend have a doubleheader scheduled for Friday, with Wisconsin presently leading the road series 2-0.

Friday’s outlook: RHPs Will Rudy (2024 and High-A debut) and Brett Wichrowski (conceded one unlucky run with 4 Ks in 3 IP last week) are the likely starters.

Carolina Pre-Game Media Notes (not available)
Rained Out

Via the Mudcats’ website, rainout details: Mudcats and Wood Ducks Postponed Thursday

Carolina and Down East have a doubleheader scheduled for Friday, with the home series currently tied at one game apiece.

Friday’s outlook: RHP Bishop Letson (2024 and Brewers’ organizational debut) and Josh Knoth (2 ER with 4 Ks in 3 IP last week) are the most likely starters for the twinbill.

We hope that you enjoy the Minor League Link Report. Grab a chair, an MiLB.TV subscription and indulge yourself in the seven(!) games scheduled for Friday, in addition to big league action.

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[jay87shot]

Shoot, hopefully Wilken is good. Scary

[Joseph Zarr]

I am ready for the injury gods to simply take the remainder of the season off. It's starting to get ridiculous. Hopefully, nothing too serious there for Brock - the system could really use some better luck moving forward. Biloxi starting out of the gates with this anemic of an offense was definitely not something I was preparing for. They are a hard watch at the moment. Historicity would tell us, however, those bats will wake up. Hopefully it's much sooner than later!

[Jim Goulart]

For MiLB.TV subscribers - go to the 02:42:30 hour/minute mark here.

Yes, Wilken walked himself off after two-plus minutes on the ground, most of which was in a crouched catcher position with his face buried to ground level. The Shuckers' trainer provided a towel which Wilken continued to hold to his face as he walked off. There was blood, but not a gushing amount, and it's unclear if it was from nose or mouth.

However, and what made the video so compelling, it that the 94 MPH fastball literally broke and snapped off the protective ear flap from the helmet! I have never seen that. You see a portion of the flap still on the helmet with jagged edging, and the snapped off piece is clearly lying there next to Wilken. 

The Mississippi Braves' announcers were definitely concerned, and the close-up camera work throughout was top-notch, helpful but frightening. The announcers speculated that the piece of the flap that snapped off was what caused the bleeding and damage to Wilken's face. 

Surely Wilken must have been run through concussion protocol, but to my very untrained eye this was more a matter of Brock being shocked by how this went down, and dealing with the pain and blood.

Best wishes as we wait for an update...

[Ro Mueller]

Latest update on Wilken: 

 

[BrewerFan]

18 hours ago, damuelle said:

SS Eric Brown Jr. couldn't quite make the play to prevent the Braves' walk-off:

It actually looked to me like he did make that play...and with a little better footwork at 1B by Martinez there and his stretch is up the line a bit more, he gets to it.

In any event, outstanding play and showed a bigger arm than advertised, but couldn't quite convert.